Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Greece fits inside Iran 13 times
Greece: 131,960 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Greece’s coastline is 5.6 times as long as Iran’s
Greece: 13,676 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 2,708 m above Greece’s
Greece: 2,917 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 39% of Greece, versus 29% of Iran
Greece: 38.9% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 8.9 times as many people as Greece
Greece: 10.4 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Greece is 42% more densely populated than Iran
Greece: 81 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Greece are 3.6 cm taller than in Iran
Greece: 179.3 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Greece are 4.6 cm taller than in Iran
Greece: 165.8 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Greece is 13 years older than in Iran
Greece: 45.7 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.4 more children on average than in Greece
Greece: 1.24 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Greece are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Greece: 24.4% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Greece hosts 55% more refugees per resident than Iran
Greece: 12.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Greece has produced 1.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Greece: 1 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Greece and Iran are practically level
Greece: 1 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iran’s economy is 29% larger than Greece’s
Greece: $281 billion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Greece produces 2.3 times as much per person as Iran
Greece: Int$45,264 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Greece (Gini 2.5 points higher)
Greece: 33.4 (2023) · Iran: 35.9 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.6% in Greece
Greece: 0.6% (2023) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Greece and Iran are practically level
Greece: 8.5% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Greece spends 3.0% of its GDP on the military, Iran 2.1%
Greece: 3% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Greece: 27.4% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Greece’s price level (US = 100) is 3× Iran’s
Greece: 60% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Greece spends 7.3 times as much on health per person as Iran
Greece: $1,963 (2023) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Greece live 4 years longer than in Iran
Greece: 81.8 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 3.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Greece
Greece: 3.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Greece has 3.6 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Greece: 6.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Greece has 2.3 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
Greece: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Iran is 54% higher than in Greece
Greece: 3.9 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
34% of adults in Greece are obese, versus 26% in Iran
Greece: 33.7% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
30% of adults in Greece smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Greece: 30.2% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Greece rate their lives 0.55 points higher than in Iran
Greece: 5.70 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Greece drink 415 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Greece: 8.6 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Greece has 2.7 times as much meat per person as Iran
Greece: 82 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Greece has 506 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Greece: 3,382 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 353 more hours a year than in Greece
Greece: 1,893 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Greece went to school 0.71 years longer than in Iran
Greece: 11.6 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Greece: 2.67 (2022) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 9 more World Heritage sites than Greece (30 against 21)
Greece: 21 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Greece has won 129 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Greece: 129 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
86% of people in Greece are online, versus 85% in Iran
Greece: 86% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Greece: 186 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Greece and Iran are practically level
Greece: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in Greece live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Greece: 79% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 114
Greece: 114 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 4 times as long as Greece’s
Greece: 2,339 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Greece fly 9.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Greece: 1.83 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Greece, but only 6.6% of Iran
Greece: 36.9% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 63% more CO₂ than someone in Greece
Greece: 5.3 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
50% of Greece’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Greece: 49.7% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 2.5 times as much fine dust as in Greece
Greece: 15.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.8 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Greece
Greece: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 2.7 times as deadly as in Greece
Greece: 10.8 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 3.5 °C warmer than Greece
Greece: 15.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Greece gets 2.9 times as much rain as Iran
Greece: 800 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Greece bigger than Iran?
Iran is larger. Greece fits inside Iran 13 times.
Which has more people, Greece or Iran?
Iran has 8.9 times as many people as Greece (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Greece or Iran?
People in Greece live 4 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 81.8 years in Greece and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Greece or Iran?
Men in Greece are 3.6 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
